Movianto UK’s Central Facility to be Upgraded

As a leading UK healthcare logistics provider, Movianto looks to constantly improve and upgrade its service. After listening to clients, studying the market, and planning for the future, Movianto UK is investing in a new warehouse in Bedford to be ready for Q2 of 2023.

“Walden Group’s significant investment in Bedford Link will enable Movianto UK to react quickly and competitively in the logistics market,” says Paul Wilkinson, President of Movianto UK.

As part of the restructuring of the UK network, and to accommodate the growth the company has seen in the last 5 years, the new facility will be an upgrade of the current Bedford warehouse: doubling ambient pallet spaces, making room for new automated solutions, and allowing Movianto to offer clients more specialised services.

“Following the network infrastructure re-design in UK, the investment into Bedford’s new warehouse is a natural decision showing both existing and potential new clients how the investment and growth strategy of Movianto Group is materializing, says Thomas Creuzberger, CEO of the group. “Movianto Group is currently investing more than 200 million euros into infrastructure, capacity growth, technology & sustainability projects across Europe to cope with the current and future needs of the pharma- and healthcare industries.”

A Tactical Expansion

Strategically, the Bedford site is a critical one, serving as Movianto’s head office and a key point of their expanding network. The new facility is only 1.4 miles away from the current one, and so retains all its geographic advantages.

The decision to move was equally strategic, made to accommodate othe company’s growth over the past 5 years, and the future growth that experts within Movianto expect to see. For example, the number of pallet spaces in the new facility will be almost double that of the current one – from 45,000 to 80,000 spaces.

This expansion of square footage means an expansion of the services and resources that Movianto can now offer to current and future clients. With more space, they ar setting up more robust added-value services highly requested by clients, including hospital prescription services and manufacturing services such as repackaging and relabelling. Additionally, a brand-new controlled drugs vault with all standard government-required security measures is being constructed.

New Warehouse, but Continuity in Operations

Even as the company invests in the new facility, they are equally investing in ensuring a seamless transition from the current one. As there are less than two miles between the old and new complexes, much will in fact remain the same before and after the move. “We are keeping the same Warehouse Management System, Transport Management System, and operational processes whilst we complete the transition,” says Richard Sandall, Head of Logistics for Movianto UK. The company is also sticking with the same team, same skill base, and same areas of expertise.

“This is really an upgrade to our service, we are not starting from scratch,” says Sandall. “We are experts in our field and we will continue to provide a high level of service to our clients.”

A Focus on People and Planet

“The purpose of this project is to upgrade the client experience with Movianto, and to give our team the best possible working environment,” says Richard Sandall. “Part of that is, of course, being the sort of company that people are proud to work with and for, and sustainability is a big piece of that puzzle. That’s why we have made sure that sustainability is a key aspect of this new building.”

Some sustainability features of the new facility include:

• Construction according to low energy demand principles
• Solar panel energy production on the roof (over 500 solar panels planned)
• High performance insulation and glazing to reduce heat loss
• Electric car charging points
• Bike storage and encouragement of teammates to use the local Sustrans Cycle route
• BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating